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1. Review of Advanced Vision Care
Advanced Vision Care (AVC) is an independent surgeon-led clinic founded in 2003 by Mr Pillai on Harley Street, London. With no affiliation with any manufacturers, you should be able to count on treatment that’s best suited to your needs.
AVC’s Medical Director and lead surgeon, Mr Pillai, has nearly three decades of ophthalmic experience and is one of the few surgeons to have fellowships for both refractive laser surgery and cornea treatment. Patients even enjoy the benefit of speaking to Mr Pillai during the initial consultation, and can look forward to a stress-free aftercare plan, including any retreatment if necessary.
What makes AVC different? This clinic prides itself on being able to treat any eye prescription using a wide mix of treatments, meaning it may just be able to help you, even if other clinics have turned your down. Its patients also give this clinic the thumbs up, leaving hundreds of positive reviews on our site over the years.
- AVC tailors treatments to its customers’ specific visual needs.
- You can receive eye care from a small team of eye experts, each with 25 years of experience.
- Laser and non-laser treatments sit under one roof, for customer convenience.
Is there anything else I should know? As you’d expect, cutting-edge eye surgery on Harley Street comes at a price, and this time it’s higher on average than you’ll find at some of the other top-rated eye clinics dotted around the UK. And unless you happen to live in central London, there may not be a clinic near you.
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
2. Treatments
Advanced Vision Care specialises in laser as well as non-laser vision correction treatments, including all the usual suspects: LASIK, LASEK, implantable contact lenses (ICL surgery), lens replacement surgery, cataract surgery and keratoconus treatment.
- Advanced Wavefront LASIK / LASEK – Highly accurate laser surgery for those with thin eye surfaces or active lifestyles.
- Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) – Therapy for treating long-term eye conditions.
- Implantable Contact Lens (EVO Visian ICL) – Suitable for patients with complex eye prescriptions, thin corneas or dry eyes.
- Lens Replacement (Refractive Lens Exchange) – Eye surgery for those over 40 with a reading prescription.
- Cataract Surgery – Removes cloudy lenses, and replaces them with artificial clear ones.
- Corneal Implants – Reshape irregular eye shapes to make contact lenses more comfortable.
As is standard with eye surgery clinics, all AVC treatments come with a 12 month aftercare package, which includes: regular check-ups, 24-hour eye expert support line, and post-op medication for the first month.
In the unlikely event that you require eye surgery enhancement, any laser fine tuning or YAG laser capsule thickening removal (following cataract treatment) is available at no extra cost.
3. Technology
Advanced Vision Care was the first clinic in the UK to house the complete Alcon Refractive Suite, which it claims is the safest non-laser technology in the country. It creates a personalised treatment plan that starts with a Verion Image Guided system in your first consultation, and continues throughout the surgery with devices that ensure superior visualisation.
The laser eye surgery treatment is also advanced. The femtosecond Intralase 5F Laser works blade-free by using pulses of harmless light to create a corneal flap, and the Bausch Teneo 317 Excimer Laser takes just 3 to 5 seconds to correct your vision.
What’s more, the highly accurate Advanced Wavefront technology is included in all laser treatments as standard, and an Eye Tracking System tracks eye movements, so you don’t need to worry about blinking during the procedure.
4. Advanced Vision Care Prices
AVC has some of the most reasonable payment options out there. It’s not the cheapest – high street clinics such as Optical Express and Ultralase take the crown for cost – but the free consultation, fixed prices, and flexible interest free finances all help their treatments work around you.
Is it worth paying more? Of course, that’s for you to decide. But to give you an idea of the prices, laser eye surgery at AVC costs £2,100 (per eye), compared to well-reviewed alternatives such as Optical Express and AccuVision which come in at around half that on average.
| Eye Surgery Procedure | Price (per eye) | Finance Options (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Wavefront LASIK | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Simple Lens) | £3,450 – £3,750 | £122.22 – £138.89 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Specialist Lens) | £4,150 | £161.11 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Monofocal lens surgery | £3,150 – £3,450 | £105.56 – 122.22 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Multifocal lens surgery | £3,750 – £4,050 | £138.89 – £155.56 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Keratoconus Treatment | £2,150 – £2,450 | £91.67 – £108.33 (18 months, 0% APR) |
Are there finance options?
Yes, AVC has partnered with Hitachi Finance to offer flexible payment plans, meaning you can pay the full cost of eye surgery in bite-size monthly installments.
For example, you could pay for laser eye surgery in chunks of £66.67 a month for two years interest free, or £33.59 for 60 months at 9.9% APR. That’s generous – most clinics require 11% APR, and only the first year at 0% interest.
Does medical insurance cover the surgery costs at AVC?
Yes, AVC is an accredited provider of ophthalmic surgery for many of the UK’s leading insurance companies, including:
- Allianz
- AVIVA
- AXA PPP
- BUPA and BUPA International
- Cigna
- Simply Health
As always, you’ll need to confirm how you would like to pay before booking your surgery, both with your chosen clinic and your medical insurer.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
5. AVC Review: The Verdict
Advanced Vision Care consistently receives a five-star rating from hundreds of patients, which is why this clinic makes it to our list of the best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK.
With in-depth consultations providing an honest assessment of whether eye surgery is right for you, Advanced Vision Care also takes the prize for being one of the top places for laser eye surgery in London.
☝ Is Advanced Vision Care for you? To see if there is a better reviewed laser eye surgery clinic near you, just hit here to use our simple quote tool, and get a tailored quote from a clinic you can trust.
Our Testimonials
Every day for the past 52 years I have had to wear glasses because of my short sightedness. But not anymore, thanks to the excellent Mr Pillai and his wonderful team.
Many, many thanks to you all.
We both want to thank you for transforming our lives. There are no words to explain how wonderful it feels to be able to see, after so many years of very poor sight.
I now regret the indecision that kept me from having the operation done before, as I could have experience this exhilarating freedom sooner!
My laser surgery needed a small “tweak” to make things perfect . Ironically I thought it was “perfect”, only to find that it became better still. Michael had the cataract lens extraction operation with Dr Helgason, and is absolutely delighted with the results.
Every single person we met along the way has treated us perfectly- your team are a credit to you, and we would pass our thanks to each and every one for the service we have had-and would continue to have.
We will unhesitatingly recommend you to anyone-all I would say is take the plunge and go for the initial examination as soon as possible-life is good without specs!
I am very impressed with the service Advance VisionCare. I can’t believe it was less than a month ago that I was wearing contact lenses! The procedure from start (when I first phoned up) to now has been so quick and extremely hassle free).
I am so happy that I have had it done and can’t wait to start taking Advance VisionCare of having perfect vision without contacts-swimming, camping, festivals, sleeping under the starts and being able to see them!
I strongly recommend laser treatment at Advance VisionCare-it’s amazing!
Thanks so much to the team, you’ve all been fantastic!
I was impressed with the professional and friendly manner adopted by both Catherin Freeman, the optometrist at Eyesite and everyone at Harley Street.
Everyone did everything they could to make the experience as pleasant as possible. I felt totally relaxed throughout the entire procedure due to the caring and professional attention that I recived.
I would defiantly recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone wanting to undergo eye surgery of this type.
I had my 6 week post-operative check up with Mr Pillai last week. I have 20:20 vision and a zero prescription – it doesn’t get any better than that. My original prescription was -7.5 in both eyes, I had worn glasses or contacts since the age of 8. As I entered my early forties my eyes became increasingly intolerant to my lenses (which I had been wearing since the age of 16) and I started to seriously consider laser eye surgery. Wearing glasses permanently was just not an option.
I had thought about laser surgery on and off through my thirties but was keen to get either a personal or professional recommendation. Neither seemed to be forthcoming, so I did not pursue it. Mr Pillai and AVC were recommended to me by a friend of a friend who is an optometrist. I contacted the clinic, received the information pack and duly made an appointment for my initial consultation. A trouble free and friendly process.
I had an extensive assessment with the optometrist and followed by a dilated pupil examination and discussion with Mr Pillai. I had done very little independent research at this stage so I was probably did not take advantage of the fact that I could have asked Mr Pillai many questions, probably not the right way to do it. However, he thoroughly explained the procedure, my prescription and the sort of result I could expect. I left feeling sufficiently confident to book the surgery for the following week. Your pupils remain dilated for several hours following the examination – I found this the most uncomfortable element of the whole process. It was a bright sunny day which did not help. The light sensitivity was so intense that my partner had to walk me to his office to sit in a darkish corner for a couple of hours – I also felt a bit disorientated and nauseous. It wore off completely after about 4 hours.
You are given a couple of documents that you are required to sign prior to surgery. One details a fairly comprehensive list of the possible complications; this was a useful starting point for me for my own independent research. In the week between the initial consultation and the surgery I did a huge amount of research, mainly online. I read the clinic’s Healthcare Commission Report, many discussion forums, websites of competing clinics, articles in professional publications, articles on the laser technology itself etc etc Over the course of the week I progressed from feeling quite anxious and wondering what I had done to feeling quite calm and reassured that I had picked a highly experienced surgeon, a well managed clinic and the most up to date and reliable equipment.
I had my surgery at 9am on a Saturday morning. The welcome at the clinic was warm and reassuring. I did feel a little anxious – only natural, I think. I had decided not to have the valium which is offered – I was concerned that I would feel woozy and unwell afterwards. Mr Pillai, was keen however that I have it and I did. There were no after effects and I was not aware of it affecting me at the time. I had a few outstanding questions prior to surgery which Mr Pillai answered fully.
You are then taken into the laser suite, fully gowned – glasses removed for the last time! Mr Pillai, the laser technician and two nurses await you. The laser suite is quite aggressively air conditioned and I found it quite chilly. You lie down and the laser is positioned above you.
Anaesthetic drops are applied to your eyes and the eye clamp attached. I didn’t really feel this at all and you have no sensation of your eyes being clamped back. Your eye and the surrounding area is cleaned. The suction cap is applied to your eye. Pressure is applied, and the flap is cut. This is the bit I liked the least – more to do with what was going on in my head “eek my eye is being cut” rather than any physical sensation. Mr Pillai talks to you all the time and tells you what is going on. The creation of the flap took less than 30 seconds. The flap is then turned back and your vision goes blurry. You then have to keep your head very still and the laser goes to work – 50 seconds in all for my prescription. The laser is applied in bursts about 4 in all and the technician counts down the time so you know how long there is to go. This part of the experience is a bit surreal – you have to look straight ahead at a pattern of lights – red and green – it’s a bit like a combination of a child’s spirograph and a laser show at a Fatboy Slim gig. There was a slight smell like when you singe your hair and with the first eye I could see a faint whisper of “smoke” rising up from the eye that was being lasered. Very surreal! The flap is then smoothed back into place and the bandage contact lens put in. Then it is the same process with the second eye. This time I couldn’t see anything as I think a patch had been taped over the done eye.
When I sat up I could see. It was a little hazy, but I could see my partner in the room next door, watching. I then rested with a cup of tea and after about 20 minutes Mr Pillai tested my eyes which were already at driving standard (not that I drove at that stage). We then went back to the hotel, which is comfortable, and rested for a few hours. I had no after effects whatsoever; no redness, no itchiness, no burning, no watering – in fact my eyes had not felt so comfortable in a long time. We went out and had a nice lunch and I just spent the time gazing around – saying “I can see that….” Or “I can see this…”. It was so exciting. I felt well enough to go to a football match in the evening – it was brilliant even though we lost!
For the first week following surgery you are provided with anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic eyedrops which you use 4 times a day. During the course of Sunday my eyesight became a little blurrier. I was not worried as I had read during my research that the drops can cause the bandage lens to blur. As my surgery was on a Saturday I was wearing the bandage lens longer than might otherwise have been the case. At my check 24 check up on the Monday Mr Pillai removed the bandage lens and my vision improved dramatically. I was 98% of my best corrected vision at that stage. One week later I was -0.3 in one eye and -0.1 in the other and today I am 0.0 in both! It is a miracle.
I do have some dryness in my eyes now, particularly first thing in the morning and increasingly in the evening. Artificial tear drops help with that and it should improve. My very nearsight is blurred – having been able to see things clearly a couple of inches away I now cannot – but I can see to read, use the PC and I can see for miles and miles.
I cannot recommend AVC and Mr Pillai highly enough. He is a very jovial, yet highly professional man. He is able to put you immediately at ease. His staff are friendly, welcoming and make you feel like an individual – not like another cheque to be processed. Thank you to all at AVC.